The instant invention relates to meat tenderizers and methods for tenderizing meat.
It is well known that meat can be tenderized by partially cutting the muscle fibers of meat with a sharp blade(s) or sharp spike(s). “Cube steak” is an example of meat that has been tenderized by sharp blades.
The meat tenderizer of U.S. Pat. No. 483,002 consisted of a number of parallel interspaced sharpened blades attached to a convex backing. In the method of U.S. Pat. No. 483,002, a steak or other cut of meat is placed on a cutting board and the tenderizer is pressed into and rocked across the meat to cut a portion of the fibers of the meat but leaving a portion of the meat uncut in the spaces between the sharpened blades.
A problem with meat tenderizers having sharpened blades or sharpened spikes is safety. Meat tenderizers having sharpened blades or spikes can cause accidental cuts to the user and especially to children learning to cook. Many prior art meat tenderizers are difficult to clean. It would be an advance in the art of meat tenderizing if a meat tenderizer were discovered that was safer to use and store and that could be more easily cleaned after use.